Automatic musical instrument.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented .1 an. 8, 1918.

IIIII S. PERLA.

Ilm.-

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.I3. |916.

6U: mwA

l Y S.PERLA. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I3, 1916- 1,252,835. Patented Jim. 8,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES FATEN FFE.

SALVATORE PERLA, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application led December 13, 1916.

To NZZ folto/it t may] concern.'

15e it known that I, Sanvnironn PERLA, a citizen of Italy, residing' at New York, N. Y., have invented a new and useful Automatic Musical Instrument, of which the followingv is a specification. l

My invention relates particularly to instruments of the player piano type and the primary objects of the invention are to combine with an instrument of this character a phonograph or so-called talking machine and to accomplish this union without, sacrificing or detracting from the qualities of the respective devices. This invention I have called a Pianophono Another object is to so build the phonograph mechanism into the player piano as not to mar the appearance of the instrument and at the same time so as to secure the proper resonance, etc.

Other objects of the .invention are to provide for the automatic starting and stopping of the phonograph inproper time with the player mechanism.

The invention therefore comprises in a illustrating a method of mountingthe samewithin the case of a player piano.

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a partial plan and sectional view of the driving mechanism taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4, is a cross sectional view of the same taken substantiallyon the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view 4of the valve chest. i l

Fig. 6, is a cross-sectional view of the same taken substantially on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. p Fig. 7, is a combined view showing two different sides of the so-called starting pneumatic.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. S, 1918.v

serial no. 136,610.

Fig. 8, is a side view of the so-called stopping pneumatic.

Referring to the drawings now in detail:

10 designates the case of the instrument which houses the various mechanisms and which may bein the form of the usual player piano case.

` 11 designates a tracker board, 12 a take-up spool or reel, 13 a record sheet and 14 a motor whose power shaft 15 is coupled with the take-up reel, this mechanism being commonto the usual player piano.

Built into and combined with the player mechanism of my invention is a phonograph or talking apparatus comprising', in the present disclosure` a turntable 16 for supporting' the record disks 17 and a reproducer 13 mounted on and carried by an arm 19 pivoted to rock and swing on a pivotistud 2O and supporting a horn or other suitable amplifying device 21.

The phonograph is operated, in the presentrdisclosure, fromV the take-up reel by a A system of gearing comprising a gear 22 on the extended shaft 2,3 of the reel, which gear meshes with gear 24 on a shaft 25, said gear 24 carrying a larger gear 26 which meshes with a gear 27 on the shaft 28, said shaft 28 carrying a bevel pinion 29 meshing with a bevel pinion 30 on the turn table shaft 31. By these means the turntable is rotated from the record winding mechanism and in direct synchronism therewith, the gearing being proportioned to give the proper speed of rotation to the turntable.

A governor is provided for the phonograph mechanism, in the illustration, in the form of a ball governor 32 on the shaft 33 which is driven from shaft 28 by gears 34, 35, 36 and 37, the disk of said .ball governor being 'acted upon by a friction brake 38. This brake is shown in the form of an angle lever acted upon by a spring 38 pivoted at '39 and having an angular arm 40 engaging device 43, a suitable pointer andvscale arrangement 44 being usually provided.

The phonograph may be coupled and uncoupled with respect to the record feeding mechanism by means comprising, in the present case, a shifting fork 45 pivoted at 46 and engaging with the gear 27 lwhich is slidingly splined on the shaft 28 so that it may be shifted into and out of mesh with the companion gear 26, said shifting lever being conveniently operated by a push rod connection 47. y

The phonograph is started in synchronism with the player by means controlled by the record sheet of the player, said means comprising a pneumatic 4S whose movable side 49 carries an arm 50 whichl serves as a rest or support for the reproducer arm. This starting pneumatic is placed under the control of the record sheet by the provision of an eXtra or starting duct l in the edge portion of the tracker, the record sheet having a starting perforation 52 in the edge thereof for registry with this duct, said starting duct. being connected with the pneumatic 48 by air tubes 52H53, a valve chest 54 being interposed in said air connections to provide the proper action. Y

n similar fashion the stopping of the piiig pneumatic is likewise controlled by `a special eXtra duct 5S at` the opposite end portion of the tracker, whichduct is c0ntrolled by a correspondingly placed perforation 59 in the edge portion at the end of the record. These control ducts as shown in Fig. l are speci al ducts provided in addition to the usualv ducts (it) which control the player pneuiiiatics. The stopping duct 5S is connected with the stopping pneumatic by air connections 61462 which also pass through the valve chest 54.

The construction of the valve chest will v best be understood from Figs. 2, 5 andG.,

This chest has within it a suction chamber 63 and diaphragm valves 64 and rfor con.

trolling the starting and stopping pneumatics respectively. l diaphragms Gti, the. stem portions 67of the valves vresting directly on said diaphragms.

Beneath the diaphragins are chambers 68 intoV which the tube. i l-Gl. from the tracker board ducts are led.k

The suctioiispipes '5S-62 which lead to the pneuniatics are connected vwith chambers G9 above the valves 64 and 65 as indicated in Fig. said chambers being open to atmosphere at the top at 70 and being in communica-tion with the suction chamber,

`when the val-ve is vlifted by `way of passages 71. y

Suction is applied to the chamber G3 by a suction pipe 7 2 connected with the suction providing apparatus of the player by suitable piping 73.. Relatively small relief or bleed passages 74 establish communication These valves are actuated by suction connection 80 which for the sake of.

between the suction chamber 63 and the cavities 68 below the diaphragms 66.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the player is started and suction is applied through piping 72-73, the valves will remain in the positions indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 so long as the special control ducts are covered, the pressure above and below the diaphragms being equalized through the bleed passages 74 and the weight of the valves and the suction on the under sides of the same serving to maintain them in their lower position cutting o communication between the suction chamber G8 and theV upper chambers 69 into which the tubes '5B-G2 are led. When however the control ducts are uncovered, for instance the starting duct 51, this will open up the space 63 beneath the diaphragm to atmosphere, the suction will lift the diaphragm, causing the same to raise the valve, 64 in this case, which closes .otl' the atmospheric passage 70 and establishes communication. between the tion chamber 63 and the chamber (if) into which the tube G3 extends. A suction connection is thereupon established with the starting pneumatic and said pneumatic is collapsed thereby, the movable board of said pneumatic.,thereupon lowering the reproducer support 50 and dropping the repro clucer into proper starting engagement with the phonograph record.

YTo prevent interference of the support 50 with the reproducer after the reproducer has been lowered on the record the. pneumatic is latched in its collapsed condition by a spring..

latch indicated vat 75 and shown provided with a perforation 7 6 to receive a` pin 7.7 on

the movable board of 'the pneumatic. v

This starting pneumatic latch .is automatically released by means of a secondary.

pneumatic 7 8 mounted on the movable por-v tion of the starting pneumatic and whose movable board carries apusher 79.1'01 engagementwith the spring latch 75. This releasing pneumatic is operated when the end of the record is reached by means of a simplicity, may be joined with the stopping 7"suction pipe 62 as indicated in Fig. 1. The stopping operation will also be more Y or less apparent from what has preceded, it

being clear that when the record. strip nears the end ofv its movement and the stopping perforation 59 `therein registers with .the stopping duct 5S, the cavity below the dia.- phragm for the valve 65 will be thrown open to atmosphere and the valve 65 will. be lifted as before described and suction will be applied through the tubing 62- ofthe stopping pneumatic 55. During theplaying of the phonograph record the reproducer is swung over so as to carry the lug 57 atvthe rear end of the same into position beneath the rearwardly extending lug 5G on the movable board of the stopping pneumatic so that as the pneumatic is collapsed under the action of the suction thus applied the reproducer Will be tilted on its pivot and lifted out of engagement with the record.

Provision is made for latching such pneumatic in its collapsed condition,the means for this purpose comprising a spring latch 8l onthe movable back of the pneumatic provided with a. perforation 82 receiving the pin 83 on thestationary back of the pneumatic. V

The stopping pneumatic latch is automatically released at the proper time by means, comprising in the present instance, a secondary pneumatic 84 mounted on the back ,of the stopping pneumatic and provided ivith a pusher 85 for engagement with the latch 8l to release the same from the pin 83.

The releasing pneumatic of the stopping pneumatic is shown operated by a suction connection 8G which may be joined with the suction connection 53 leading to the starting pneumatic.

From this cross-connection of primary and secondarylv pneumatics it follows'that the starting .pneumatic Will Vbe unlatched into reproducer supporting position when the end of the record is reached and that the stopping pneumatic Will be unlatchedA and4 placed into operative condition at the same time that the starting pneumatic is operated to lower the reproducer upon the record.

`What I claim is: A

I. In combination with automatic player piano mechanism, a phonograph, means for starting the phonograph at a predetermined period of the operation of the player mechanism and independently controlled means for stopping the phonograph at a predetermined period in the operation of the player mechanism.

2. In combination with automatic player mechanism a phonograph including a reproducer, means for placing said reproducer in reproducing position, means for holding said placing means in one position, means for releasing Vsaid placing means, means for lifting the reproducer from reproducing position, means for holding said lifting means in one position, means for releasing said lifting means, operating means for the placing means and lifting releasing means aforesaid and operating means for the lifting means and placing releasing means aforesaid.

3. In combination with a musical playing instrument including a reproducer, means for placing said reproducer in reproducing position, a latch for holding said means in such placing position, means for releasing said latch, means for lifting the reproducer from reproducing position, a latch for holding said lifting means in such lifting position,rmeans forV releasing said latch, and means for operating vthe placing means and lifting` latch releasing means aforesaid, and means for operating the lifter means and placer latch releasing means aforesaid.

4L. In combination with automatic player mechanism, a phonograph, starting means for said phonograph, means for holding said starting means in inoperative position, separate independent means for stopping the phonograph and means for operating said starting means and restoringsaid stopping` means again to stopping position. Y

5. In combination With automatic player mechanism, a phonograph, stopping means for said phonograph, means forlholding said stopping means inoperative, separate and independent starting means ,for the phonograph and means for operating said starting means and restoring `the stopping meansagain to operative condition.

6. In combination With automatic player mechanism, a phonograph including a swinging reproducer element and a stopping pneumatic-controlled 'by the player mecha.

nism and carrying ain-arm Vdisposed above the path ofA swinging movementrof the reproducer element.

7. In combination With automatic player mechanism, a phonograph including a reproducer, a pneumatic controlled by the matic in collapsed position and a Secondary pneumatic for releasing said latch.

9. In combination With automatic player mechanism, a phonograph including a reproducer, a pneumatic controlled by the player mechanism, a support for the reproducer operated by said pneumatic, aV latch for said pneumatic, a secondary pneumatic for releasing said latch, a phonograph stopping pneumatic controlled by the player mechanism, a latch for said stopping pneumatic, a secondary pneumatic for releasing said latch, air connections from the player mechanism to the starting pneumatic and to the releasing pneumatic of the stopping pneumatic and air connections from the player mechanism to the Vstopping pneumatic and to the releasing pneumatic of the starting pneumatic.

l0. In combination With automatic player mechanism including a tracker board provided With additional-control ducts at opposite end portions thereof and a record sheet having additional control perforations CopiesA of this patent maybe 'obtained for in the opposite edge portions thereof for registry with said control ducts, a phonograph, a starting pneumatic for said phonograph controlled by the additional duct in one end of the tracker board and a stopping pneumatic for the phonograph controlled by the' other additional duct in the opposite end of the tracker board.

l1. In combination with automatic player mechanism, a phonograph including a reproducer, a pneumatic controlled by the player mechanism for lifting the reproducer out of reproducing position, a latch for said pneumatic, and means for releasing said Y operating the starting pneumatic and latch for the stopping pneumatic and means for simultaneously operating the stopping pneumatic and the latch for the starting pneumatic.

14. In combination With automatic player mechanism, a phonograph, Starting and stopping pneumatics for the phonograph, latches for the starting and stopping pneumatics respectively, secondary pneumatics for operating the respective latches and air connections from the player mechanism to said control pneumatics and secondary pneumatics.

15. In combination With automatic player mechanism, a phonograph, starting and stopping pneumatics for the phonograph, latches for the starting and stopping pneumatics respectively, secondary pneumatics for operating the respective latches, air connections from the player mechanism to the starting pneumatic and to the secondary of the stopping pneumatic and air connections from the player mechanism to the stopping pneumatic and secondary of the starting pneumatic.y

SALVATORE PERLA.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

